Meet the February 2024 Community Superhero: Hope Dunning

Hope Dunning, a Family Support Specialist for the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) exemplifies all aspects of what it means to be a superhero. Her dedication to protecting children in our community and the respect she garners from her colleagues make her the perfect Superhero to represent the incredible Prevention Department at NCAC.

Hope began her career at the National Children’s Advocacy Center 9 years ago, but she says her passion for helping children started when she was still a child. As a victim of child abuse herself, Hope knows the struggle and has dedicated her career to ensuring that no child is left behind. In fact, she says that she directed her career towards prevention rather than intervention because she wants to help as many children as possible avoid the abuse she endured.

As a Family Support Specialist with the Healthy Families program, she spends her days mentoring first time moms who need extra support and someone to stand by their side through the challenges of parenthood. Hope, as well as her team members, stay with these families from the third trimester of pregnancy up until the child turns five years old. Whether it’s visiting families in their home, providing resources for basic needs, or answering the phone late at night to calm an overwhelmed parent, Hope and her team selflessly dedicate themselves to the success of the parents and children they serve.

“Though this work can be challenging and unpredictable, there is no better feeling than watching a parent have an ah-hah moment with their child,” said Hope. As humble as she is impactful, Hope says her career as a Family Support Specialist has given her the tools to be a better mom herself.

After almost a decade of service and hundreds of lives impacted, changed, and saved from abuse – calling Hope a superhero seems to fall short. But, for lack of a better word, Redstone Federal Credit Union and the National Children’s Advocacy Center are incredibly proud to share Hope’s story and are humbled by the selfless work she does to protect children in our community!